Debate on the Address Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Debate on the Address

Maria Eagle Excerpts
Monday 14th October 2019

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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I thank the hon. Lady for her question. She raises a very good point. At the heart of the Queen’s Speech is provision for a new independent environmental regulator that will invigilate this Government and any Government in the future as we achieve our climate change targets. That is how this country can hope to be carbon neutral—to be net zero—by 2050, and that is what we are going to achieve. That is our programme.

Maria Eagle Portrait Maria Eagle (Garston and Halewood) (Lab)
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The Prime Minister rightly said a moment ago that those who are poorest are the hardest hit by crime. Can he therefore explain why, having lost 1,120 police officers, the Merseyside force has been told by the Home Office that it is allowed to recruit only 200 more?

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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The hon. Lady raises a reasonable question. The answer is that this is the first wave—[Interruption.] Well, there are 7,000 or 8,000 being recruited this year, and the volume of applications is, I am delighted to say, very high. I believe that our approach is right.